Domain Name Letter Scam: How to Protect Your Site

Have you received a letter warning you that your domain is about to expire and urging you to “renew” your domain with Domain Name Services? You’re likely a target of a Domain Name Services scam.

Although these invoices may look official, they are NOT from your domain registrar. These letters are designed to look like official renewal notices from your domain registrar to trick you into into unknowingly transferring your domain to a different company—often at a higher cost—so they can profit from the switch.

How Does Domain Name Services Scam Work?

When you register a domain name, your name, address, phone number, and email are often added to public databases.

Scammers like “Domain Name Services” take advantage of this by harvesting domain owner information and sending out official-looking invoices in bulk. These letters are timed to arrive a few months before your domain’s actual expiration date, hoping to beat the legitimate 30-day renewal notice from your real registrar. Their goal is to confuse domain owners who may not fully understand the registration process and convince them to pay for a fake or unnecessary “renewal.”

What Happens if I Pay the Invoice?

If you pay the Domain Name Services invoice, you are not just renewing your domain—you are also authorizing a transfer of your domain to their company. These invoices are often overpriced and typically charge for a five-year renewal in an attempt to collect significantly more money than standard renewal fees.

After payment, Domain Name Services will attempt to transfer your domain to their company. However, they cannot complete the transfer without a transfer (authorization) code from your current registrar. To initiate this process, you would need to unlock your domain and provide that code yourself. If you do not complete both of these steps, the transfer will not go through. Your domain will remain with your current registrar, and you will still be responsible for renewing it through them to keep it active.

How to identify a domain name scam:

  • Urgent payment language like “immediate action required” or “failure to renew may result in the loss of your online identity”
  • Missing key company details such as no real contact information, website or customer support listed
  • High Fees. The renewal price is high and committing you to a 5 year renewal term
  • Addressed to your domain name, NOT your business name
  • Letter arrives months before your actual renewal in hopes to get ahead of a 30-day notice from your real registrar

How to protect against domain name scams:

  • Verify the sender
  • Know your domain registrar and renewal date
  • Check suspicious companies on the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org)
  • Partner with Red Elephant to manage your renewals and protect your business from scams
View our Services

Domain Name Registration

What is a domain name?

A domain name is like an address on the internet. Every location on the internet is identified by an IP address, which is just a list of numbers, so we have domain names. Think of the IP address as coordinates and the domain name as the street address.

Add text…

Do I have to register my domain name for 5 years?

No, you do not have to register your domain name for 5 years. You can register for just one year or multiple years. Domain name scams try to get you to register for 5 years to charge more money.

How much does a domain name cost

The price of domain names depends on the registrar and the services they offer. It can also depend on the extension of the name (.com/.org/.net). Legitimate domain renewals typically start at $10–$20 per year. The scam invoice tries to charge you $265—that’s $53 per year!

What happens if I do not renew my domain name?

If you don’t renew your domain name your site will be taken down. You do have a grace period to get it back, but the longer you wait, the harder it can be to get it back.